BATTLING GLAM FALL JUST SHORT
GLAMORGAN narrowly failed to pull off a thrilling run chase as the Lv=insurance County Championship division two match at Derby ended in a pulsating draw.
Set 331 in 55 overs, Marnus Labuschagne with 85 from 87 balls and Sam Northeast’s 81 off 101 balls put Glamorgan on course for victory yesterday before fast bowler Ryan Sidebottom raised Derbyshire’s victory hopes with 4-50.
Sidebottom removed Northeast to reduce Glamorgan to 308-8, but James Harris and Timm van der Gugten – batting with a runner – held on for the draw.
Derbyshire wicketkeeper Brooke Guest had earlier scored his second century of the game to equal a 126year record when he became only the second Derbyshire keeper to make two hundreds in a match.
Wayne Madsen also scored an unbeaten 135, sharing a third-wicket stand of 276 in 76 overs with Guest, before Derbyshire declared on 349-3.
David Lloyd with 49 launched the chase with Labuschagne, but the Glamorgan captain was issued with a Level One warning on the field for abusive language after he was given lbw by umpire Paul Pollard.
Guest and Madsen batted through the morning to set up the drama that unfolded against an attack that was a bowler down after van der Gugten left the field on Saturday with a hamstring injury.
Guest reached his landmark when he cut the leg spin of Labuschagne for his ninth four to complete his second hundred and equal the record set by Bill Storer against Yorkshire at Derby in 1896.
Madsen celebrated yet another century, his 33rd first-class hundred for the county, by cutting Andrew Salter to the boundary and the pair scored 117 runs in the session to take the lead to 268.
Derbyshire made their intentions clear after lunch with Guest dispatching a Salter full toss over the ropes at long-on and pulling Lloyd’s medium pace for another six.
The declaration came when Guest was caught behind down the leg side, leaving Glamorgan to score at more than six an over to achieve victory.
Derbyshire took only four balls to get their first wicket, with Salter falling to a superb diving catch by Leus du Plooy at third slip off Suranga Lakmal.
The big wicket was Labuschagne and Sam Conners twice found his outside edge, only for the ball to fly wide of the slips.
When he did offer a chance, Derbyshire failed to take it, with Mattie Mckiernan spilling an edged drive off Sidebottom at first slip on 27.
That was always likely to prove costly and Labuschagne twice drove off-spinner Alex Thomson for six on his way to a 49-ball 50.
Lloyd was one away from a halfcentury when he played across the line at Sidebottom and was lbw. He was clearly unhappy with the decision and was issued with the warning for swearing loudly as he marched up the pavilion steps.
Labuschagne was dropped again on 74 by Guest, but Sidebottom finally got him when he failed to clear cover.
Kiran Carlson’s 37 from 35 balls and Chris Cooke with 32 from 25 gave Glamorgan the momentum, but Sidebottom and Anuj Dal stemmed the run flow and – crucially – took wickets.
Northeast pulled Dal for six, but when he drove Sidebottom to third man in the penultimate over with 23 still needed, Glamorgan called off the chase.
Both teams took 14 points after an enthralling final day,